Hotel Booking Refund and Cancellation Call Scam over the phone

How it looks over the phone, the red flags and what to do.

A phone call lets the scammer talk fast, sound confident and keep you from thinking. The caller ID can be faked, so it proves nothing. Hotel Booking Refund and Cancellation Call Scam is one of the ways this shows up: A caller says your hotel booking failed or is cancelled and sends a link or QR for a refund. See how travellers lose money and how to verify bookings.

What hotel booking refund and cancellation call scam looks like over the phone

• Being told to stay on the line and not to tell your family.
• Instructions to install a screen-sharing app or to press keys on the phone.
• A second "senior officer" who takes over the call.

Scammers find travellers through hotel listings that publish contact numbers, leaked booking data or fake customer care numbers placed in search results. They call at check-in time or just after payment and speak with detail about the city and dates. They quote a real amount if they have it, so the call feels like a genuine follow-up from the property.

Red flags to check on the phone call

• A call or message about a refund that asks for a PIN, OTP or card number.
• A link or QR sent to 're-validate' a booking.
• A new payment requested to 'release' a stuck one.
• A number found in search results instead of the booking app.
• You are told that a case, arrest, block or penalty is coming within minutes.
• You are asked to move money to a "safe account".

What to do

1. Hang up and open the booking app or the confirmation email to check the status.
2. Contact the hotel using the number on the confirmation or the app's help section.
3. Never enter a PIN or OTP to receive a refund.
4. Never share an OTP or PIN. No genuine staff member needs it.
5. If you already installed an app on the call, uninstall it and switch on airplane mode, then call your bank at once.
6. Tell a family member and report the number on the Sanchar Saathi portal (Chakshu facility).

Report the number on the Sanchar Saathi portal (Chakshu facility). If money moved, call 1930 immediately.

If money or a code is already gone

1. Call 1930 and report at cybercrime.gov.in right away.
2. Tell your bank on the number printed on your card and ask to block the card or UPI.
3. Contact the booking platform's in-app help to confirm your real reservation.
4. Keep the link, the number and payment ids for the police.

National Cyber Crime Helpline: 1930; report at cybercrime.gov.in.

Safeavio's link check can look at a 're-validation' link before you open it, the QR check shows where a refund QR leads, and the scam check on a pasted message marks the pressure and PIN request. Money Shield reminds you that refunds do not need a PIN. It cannot hear a call or confirm a booking, so check status only in the official app.

Full guide: Hotel Booking Refund and Cancellation Call Scam: how it works, signs and what to do. Other channels: WhatsApp, SMS, email.

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